Jameer Nelson sits out against Pacers and will be out against 76ers

January 29, 2012|By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson sat out Sunday's game against the Indiana Pacers and will not play Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers because he is suffering from concussion-like symptoms, coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Nelson absorbed two shots to the head during Friday night's loss in New Orleans.

In December, the NBA adopted a concussion policy, and in accordance with that policy, Nelson's return-to-play schedule will be discussed with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA's concussion program and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan.

Nelson missed one game during the 2007-08 season because of a concussion and is believed to have suffered other concussions in the past.

"Especially what's happened with these pro football guys, these are tough guys, competitive guys," Van Gundy said. "They want to be on the court. They want to be on the field.

"If you let 'em, they're going to go out there. I think that we owe them better than that. This isn't an ankle injury. This isn't a knee injury where maybe you can push through it. You're talking about somebody's head and somebody's brain."

Off to Cincy

The Magic are scrambling to find hotel accommodations prior to their game this upcoming Saturday against the Pacers in Indianapolis.

There's just one problem: There are no hotel rooms available in Indianapolis because Super Bowl XLVI will be played there the following day.

"You guys can comment on that and save me my money," Van Gundy told reporters, referring to a potential fine from the league if he said something controversial. "But when you come out with the schedule in December and have a game in the Super Bowl city, lodging might be a problem."

The Magic had asked the NBA to be allowed to fly from Florida to Indianapolis on the day of the basketball game. According to league spokesman Tim Frank, NBA officials told the team they would consider the request and also would try to help the team find hotel rooms.

But the league could not acquire the hotel rooms and ultimately determined that the risk of bad weather or mechanical issues was too great to allow the Magic to fly in from Florida on gameday, Frank said.

So the Magic will fly to Cincinnati after its game on Friday night in Orlando. Sid Powell, the team's assistant director of basketball operations, now will attempt to book hotel rooms in Cincy.

The league has given the Magic permission to fly from Cincy to Indy on gameday. If there is some problem with the flight, then the Magic can take a bus from Cincy to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indy.

Magic players didn't know they would be traveling to Cincy until they were asked about it late Sunday afternoon.

"This season's been full of curveballs," swingman Quentin Richardson said.

"We're pros. We've got to be pros, I guess."

Layups

•Ryan Anderson returned to Orlando's starting lineup after he missed Friday's game because of a left-calf contusion. Anderson wore a padded sleeve to protect the calf.

•Van Gundy said he will consider changing the lineup if the team's energy on offense does not improve. "It does seem that the guys who are playing more consistently with energy are our guys coming off the bench," he said prior to tipoff. "Now, is it because they're energy guys or because they're not putting in as many minutes and so they're not as tired?"

•Entering Sunday, the Magic had gone six consecutive quarters scoring 19 points or less in each of them. The Magic broke that string in the first quarter against the Pacers, scoring 22 points.

•Shooting guard Jason Richardson took five of Orlando's first six shot attempts. He made three of them.

•Joe Crawford and Dick Bavetta, two of the league's longest-tenured, most well-regarded referees, were part of Sunday's officiating crew.